Published 18:40 IST, September 25th 2020
Can you see Jupiter tonight? Find out which celestial bodies will be seen tonight
The end of September 2020 is expected to feature Jupiter, Saturn and other celestial sightings from Earth. Find out can you see Jupiter tonight.
The last two weeks of September 2020 are expected to feature some charming celestial bodies in Earth’s skies. Our own stunning moon is visible from Earth very frequently. But by the end of September, skywatchers can expect to see a lot more than just the moon. Towards the end of Sept 2020, us Earthlings will be graced by breathtaking sights of Jupiter and Saturn, two of our solar system’s biggest gas giants. Read on to find out if Jupiter will be visible tonight.
Can you see Jupiter tonight?
A report on EarthSky.com has revealed that on the following dates both Jupiter and Saturn will be visible from Earth. The dates are September 23, 24, 25 and 26, 2020. Given that the Northern Hemisphere of Earth will be graced with clear skies, it will be pretty hard to miss these bright worlds.
Second, to the sun, the moon is the brightest celestial object. But on September 25, Jupiter is expected to be exceptionally bright, too. In fact, it will outshine a lot of the star. But one-upping Jupiter will be Mars. Saturn will be as bright as the other stars but still pretty easy to spot.
While looking at Jupiter tonight, skywatchers will be able to notice unusual proximity between the two. The report further mentions that this nearness is the result of the gas giants movement towards each other. They will be at the great conjunction before 2020 ends. A conjunction is a term that astronomers use to describe the meeting of planets and other objects on our sky’s dome. Here great conjunction is being used as it is occurring between Jupiter and Saturn two biggest known worlds in our solar system.
What time will Jupiter be visible?
It is a known astronomical fact that the dark side of a waxing moon always points to the East, which is the direction of the sunrise. And the moon travels toward 1/2 degree eastward. So on September 25, the moon will go past Jupiter, continuing its journey towards Saturn.
The Earth Sky report, states that the moon will swing 1.6 degrees south of Jupiter on September 25, 2020. This will happen at 06:46 UTC, which is 11:46 pm Thursday, Pacific Time (PT). Hence it's better to look for the moon around this time if one wishes to spot Jupiter. On its eastward course, the moon will sweep 2.3 degrees to the south of Saturn at 20:46 UTC which is 1:46 pm Friday, Pacific Time (PT).
Promo Image Source: NASA
Updated 18:40 IST, September 25th 2020